Preview of the Month Ahead

Outstanding NSW racing in March – plus the start of the Inter Dominion in NZ
by Andrew Georgiou


The beginning and end of March is packed with outstanding racing, and when you throw in some Carnival Of Cups action in the middle, it all makes for an exciting time in NSW.

Then, of course, the end of the month also sees the Inter Dominion kick off in Christchurch at the famous Addington Raceway.

The first round of Inter Dominion heats being held on Friday 25 March, the second lot of heats the following Friday 1 April with the Grand Final a week later on 8 April.

March 5 – Saturday night
Tabcorp Park Menangle
$100,000 Cordina Chickens
Ladyship Mile
$100,000 FORM 700 NSW Oaks
$20,000 Pink Bonnet

It’s ladies night at Tabcorp Park Menangle with the females taking centre stage, both on and off the track.

The $100,000 Cordina Chickens Ladyship Mile will be one of the main events on the card, sharing the spotlight with some of the most promising youngsters in the land in the $100,000 FORM 700 NSW Oaks.

In the Ladyship, Australia’s best mare Make Mine Cullen is likely to try and defend the title she won last season when leading throughout in an Australian record 1:53 rate for a mare.

“She proved how good she was last season as a four-year-old and there’s no doubt she has improved this season at five,” trainer Glenn Douglas said.

“We’ll be trying to go back-to-back this season unless something unforeseeable happens.”

NSW’s best mare, Lady Lexus, won the Ranji Bill to book an automatic spot in the race in a sizzling 1:53.6 at Menangle in January. She contested last season’s Ladyship and trainer Paul Fitzpatrick and her owners decided to push on for one more year – with a Ladyship start the perfect result!

You can also expect some interstate raiders to aim at the new timeslot for the Ladyship, which is without doubt the premier race for mares in the Southern Hemisphere.

In the NSW Oaks, it could very well be a local victory as Menangle-based trainers are likely to hold a strong hand.

David Thorn, regarded by many as the man to have adapted best to the big track, is likely to have Vertigal running in the Group One.

“Considering the race is on our home track, it is the one of the logical targets for her,” Thorn said.

“We don’t have to travel to get there and it is a Group One.

“She loves the track and some of her best performances have been at Menangle so if she is okay and there aren’t any injury concerns, she’ll be there come Oaks night.”

A dual classic winner at two, Vertigal went within a whisker of taking out the Raith Memorial in January, which was won by Rainbow Dasher. Her winning time of 1:53 broke Kiwi sensation De Lovely’s Australasian record!

Another Menangle horse likely to be hard to beat will be Sheezallattitude from the Felicity Gallagher stable. The APG winner from this season has speed to burn and is always thereabouts in the big races. Of course, Rainbow Dasher has turned heads this season with her emergence while there are a number of others from NSW that could also give the Oaks a shake.

The one to beat will be Victorian Aussie Made Lombo, with fellow southerner Lively Moth also capable of giving the race a shake should she come up for it.

Also on the card will be the Pink Bonnet for two-year-old fillies and a good guide to this race could be the Linden Huntley Little which was run at the end of February.

Last season, Beach Fantasy won the Pink Bonnet at Harold Park, when the race was run at that track for the last time.

March 13 – Sunday afternoon
Orange
$10,000 Kents Building Supplies
Banjo Paterson Cup

The next leg of the Carnival Of Cups series heads to Orange for a Sunday afternoon TAB fixture.

Nearly $50,000 in prizemoney will be distributed throughout the programme with the main race carrying a $10,000 purse.

The Banjo Paterson is for C6 and Better pacers (no better than M3) and is over 2240 metres. Most classes on the card are catered for and there will also be a heat of the Jack Honan Memorial over 1880 metres.

March 19 – Saturday afternoon
Muswellbrook
$7,500 Hunter Valley Harness
Racing Assoc Number 1 Club Cup

Muswellbrook’s meeting on Saturday afternoon will be a non-TAB leg of the Carnival Of Cups.

Despite the non-TAB status, the main race on the card carries prizemoney of $7,500 and is for C0-C1 pacers over 2170 metres. The half-mile circuit doesn’t get too many meetings these days but you can rest assured the locals will make sure their leg of the COC will be a highly successful one!  Over $20,000 in prizemoney will be on offer throughout the day.

March 26 – Saturday night
Bathurst
$100,000 Alabar Bathurst Gold Crown
$100,000 Woodlands Stud
Bathurst Gold Tiara
$40,000 Mitavite Bathurst Gold Chalice
$40,000 Bathurst Gold Bracelet

The 25th running of the Gold Crown series has seen prominent breeding ground Alabar Farms secure naming rights sponsorship for the carnival.

Every year the event just seems to get bigger and this season’s edition is expected to provide bumper nominations.

The Linden Huntley Little series in February would have given most a good guide to the leading chances in the two-year-old divisions (Crown and Tiara). As for interstate representation, you can almost certainly count on a few ‘Lombo’ horses being there to represent multiple finals winner Mick Lombardo.

The three-year-old legs could be just as intriguing, with a potential rematch of last year’s Tiara shaping up in the Bracelet between Aussie Made Lombo and Vertigal.

In the Chalice, there could be one or two interstaters come back for a crack following unsuccessful raids at two, including the talented Modern Slippa.

Last season, the Gold Crown went to a local trainer in Peter Trevor-Jones when Beetson came with a sustained run to snatch victory in the final strides from Warrior Stride and Screaman Seaman.

Only a head separated Aussie Made Lombo and Vertigal last year but the final result was ultimately decided in the stewards’ room, while Northern Frontier and Lady Euthenia took out the three-year-old events.

The Gold Crown carnival always lends itself to a horse that simply ‘jumps’ out of the ground, so watch out for an emerging talent or two to come out of the heats.

Also on finals night will be the running of the $20,000 Bathurst Mayors Cup (C6 and Better), $15,000 Bathurst Gold Pendant Mares Classic (C5 and Better Mares) as well as Gold Consolations for the two and three-year-old divisions.

Other Gold Crown features:
Tiara Heats (2YO Fillies)
Friday, March 18

Crown Heats (2YO C&G)
Saturday, March 19

Gold Coronet (3YO Trotters)
Friday, March 18

Gold Chalice Heats (3YO Fillies)
Monday, March 21

Gold Bracelet Heats (3YO C&G)
Monday, March 21

What's On Interstate...